Some conventional power equipment apparatus include separate control devices to facilitate an operator's control of fuel and choke functions for an engine. For example, a conventional all terrain vehicle (“ATV”) includes a fuel knob which is configured to control the flow of fuel from a fuel tank to an engine, and which can be rotated by an operator between an “Off” position, an “On” position, and a “Reserve” position. One conventional fuel knob is generally depicted in FIGS. 9A-9B. The fuel knob 130 includes a knob 134 and a base 132 and is coupled with a fuel tank and an engine such that the knob 134 can selectively facilitate the flow of fuel from the fuel tank to the engine. The base 132 includes apertures 138 for passage of bolts for attachment of the fuel knob 130 to the fuel tank.
The fuel knob 130 receives fuel from a non-reserve portion of the fuel tank via a passageway 141 in an inlet tube 140, and receives fuel from a reserve portion of the fuel tank via a passageway 153 defined by an opening 152 in the base 132. The knob 134 includes a knob member 164 and a valve member 166. The knob member 164 includes a grip portion 170 and an aperture 147. A bolt 199 is insertable through the aperture 147 and into a threaded aperture 148 in a stem 171 of the valve member 166 to facilitate attachment of the knob member 164 to the valve member 166. After positioning the valve member 166 adjacent to the base 132 such that a bottom surface 169 of the valve member 166 is adjacent to some portion of the base 132, a cover 165 is attached to the base 132 with bolts 198 inserted through apertures 197 in the cover 165 and into threaded apertures 195 in the base 132. As assembled, an O-ring (not shown) interfaces a channel disposed about the periphery of the valve member 166 to provide a seal with respect to the base 132. The base 132 and/or cover 165 can interact with the knob 134 to limit its range of rotation with respect to the base 132.
The base 132 cooperates with the knob 134 to selectively define a conduit to facilitate the flow of fuel. In particular, the bottom surface 169 of the valve member 166 is substantially flat except that it includes a channel 168 formed as an indentation into the bottom surface 169. The base 132 includes passageways 158, 160 and 162 to facilitate the selective flow of fuel. The passageway 158 is connected with the passageway 153, the passageway 160 is connected with a passageway 151 in an outlet port 150 of the base 132, and the passageway 162 is coupled with the passageway 141. Depending upon the rotational position of the knob 134 with respect to the base 132, the channel 168 in the valve member 166 either (1) does not overlap the passageway 160 and thus prevents fuel from flowing from the fuel knob 130; (2) is positionally located over passageways 160 and 162 such that non-reserve fuel enters the inlet tube 140 and passes from the fuel knob 130 through the passageway 151; and (3) is positionally located over passageways 158 and 160 such that reserve fuel flows into the passageway 153 and passes from the fuel knob 130 through the passageway 151.
A conventional ATV also includes a choke knob which is disposed upon the ATV at a location remote from that of the fuel knob 130. An example of a conventional choke knob 230 is depicted in FIG. 9C to include a knob 236 and a base 232, wherein the knob 236 is attached to a flexible cable 244 which is routed through a sheath 246. The knob 236 has a grip portion 272 which can be gripped by an operator and moved axially inwardly and outwardly with respect to the base 232 to adjust the amount of air provided to the carburetor of the engine. In particular, an operator can pull the knob 236 outwardly to cause a reduction in the amount of air flow to the carburetor (e.g., when starting a cold engine), and can push the knob 236 inwardly to cause restoration of the flow of air to the carburetor (e.g., during normal operation of a heated engine).
By disposing the choke knob 230 remotely from the fuel knob 130 upon the ATV, separate mounting provisions are required for each knob, and separate steps must be taken during assembly of the ATV to effect attachment of each knob. Also, the provision of separate knobs upon the ATV results in increased bulk upon the ATV, and renders it difficult for an operator of the ATV to easily locate and/or simultaneously adjust both knobs.